Iowa - 17-Year-Old Dad Charged for Beating His 8-Month-Old Baby to Death

An Iowa teen-father has been arrested and is now in jail for deplorably beating to death his eight-month-old baby daughter.

The teen has been identified as Jayden Straight, 17 years old. Polk County Attorney John Sarcone said Straight was charged on Sunday with first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in the death of Raija Straight.

The police affidavit says the poor baby Raija suffered multiple skull fractures, a ruptured spleen, several broken ribs and massive retina hemorrhaging. She died due to her internal injuries and head trauma on Saturday.

Des Moines Police Department Sgt. Paul Parizek said: “It is heart-wrenching what she potentially went through. I heard it was described as [being similar to] an eight-month-old child being dropped off the roof of a house. It is pretty brutal.”

Straight told investigators he was home alone with the baby when she became unresponsive.

Straight’s grandmother, Carla Mickael, is talking in support of Jayden and said she does not believe her grandson can harm his own daughter. She thinks somebody else committed the assault on the baby but didn’t give names.

The grandmother simply said: "I think he’s being wrongfully accused of something that he never did. He had noticed some bruising on the babies ribs after he got home. He knew something was wrong. He probably should have done something about that."

The community where the incident happened took time to gather to celebrate the short life of Raija and to seek justice for what was horrifically done to her.

He was a good boy, he was just tryna get his life back on track n shit. He made a mistake in judgement, chimped out and violently beat his daughter to death, we have all been there. Basicly he didn't do nothin.